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The 2018 MLS Expansion Draft takes place on Tuesday, Dec. 11, when FC Cincinnati may add up to five players to their roster in preparation for their inaugural 2019 season.

Key dates:

MLS Expansion Draft: Tuesday, Dec. 11, at 2 p.m. ET

The list of players eligible for selection will be released on Monday, Dec. 10.

2018 MLS Expansion Draft process:

Rounds: Five rounds as FC Cincinnati can select up to five players from the eligible pool; they can only claim a single player from any one club

Selection clock: Permitted three minutes for each selection

Timeouts: No timeouts implemented

Trades: No trades permitted during draft

Key parameters:

Allocation plans:

FC Cincinnati will receive an additional sum of allocation money as compensation for five exempt teams in the MLS Expansion Draft.

For a club that has a player claimed from their unprotected roster, that team will receive $50,000 in General Allocation Money for the selection.

Protected/unprotected player-related rules:

The five teams who had players selected by the Los Angeles Football Club during the 2017 MLS Expansion Draft are exempt from the 2018 Expansion Draft: Seattle Sounders FC, Sporting Kansas City, the San Jose Earthquakes, Columbus Crew SC and Toronto FC.

The other 18 returning MLS clubs that competed during the 2018 season can protect 11 players between their Senior, Supplemental and Reserve Roster. If the player’s contract expires at the end of 2018, he will still be considered part of the club’s Senior Roster. If a club protects a player, it is not obligated to exercise the player’s option. It may renegotiate a new budget number for the player as in previous years, subject to the CBA. Option Decline Free Agents and Out of Contracts Free Agents are part of the Expansion Draft and are not automatically protected.

Players on a club’s Supplemental Roster, other than Generation adidas players who have not been graduated at the end of the 2018 MLS Season or Homegrown Players, are eligible.

Generation adidas players who have not been graduated at the end of the 2018 MLS Season and Homegrown Players on a Club’s Supplemental/Reserve Roster at the end of the 2018 MLS Season are automatically protected. Clubs do not have to use a protected slot on them.

Designated Players are NOT automatically protected (i.e., clubs must choose whether to protect such players and if such player is not protected, he will be available for selection in the Expansion Draft).

If a player has a no-trade clause in his contract, his MLS club must protect him, and he will count as one of the 11 players who may be protected.

Retired player rules: If a player retires, he will not be a part of the Expansion Draft, but his club will lose its right of first refusal to him should he ultimately decide to play.

International player rules: Clubs are restricted in the number of international player(s) that they may make available. Clubs may make available a number of international players equal to their total number of international players minus three, provided that if a club has three or fewer international players it may not make more than one international player available.

Selection of Free Agents: If a Free Agent is selected in the Expansion Draft, the expansion club that selected the player will gain his previous club’s ability to renegotiate a new contract consistent with the CBA before the beginning of Stage 2 of the Re-Entry Draft. If an Out of Contract Free Agent is selected in the Expansion Draft and subsequently signs with his 2018 club via Free Agency, he will be subject to the compensation limitation for Out of Contract Players signing with a new Club, as provided in the CBA.

If FC Cincinnati selects a Supplemental/Reserve Roster Player, it must offer him a Senior Roster position and he must remain on the Senior Roster as of Roster Compliance Date.

Maximum player loss: Once one player has been claimed from a club’s non-protected roster, that club is eliminated from the Expansion Draft and may not lose any further players.

Right to negotiate: FC Cincinnati will have the right to renegotiate a drafted player’s salary (either up or down) without having to place such player on waivers or giving his previous club a right of first refusal.

Scrolling through our current roster and here are my initial knee-jerk thoughts:

Protect

1. David Villa (This is making a big assumption that he is back. I am doing this upfront so I can list a #12 below)

2. Yangel Herrera (Another big assumption that we obtain at least another year from him from CFG and for this, I've listed a #13 below)

3. Maxi Moralez

4. Alex Ring

5. Alexander Callens

6. Maxime Chanot

7. Sean Johnson

8. Sebastien Ibeagha

9. Ismael Tajouri-Shradi

10. Jesus Medina

11. Anton Tinnerholm

12. Valentin Castellanos

13. Ben Sweat

Unprotected

Saad Abdul-Salaam

Eloi Amagat

Kwame Awuah

Daniel Bedoya

Jo Inge Berget

Jeff Caldwell

Cedric Hountondji

Ronald Matarrita

Tommy McNamara

Ebenezer Ofori

Brad Stuver

Rodney Wallace

Exempt

Jonathan Lewis

James Sands

Joe Scally

Now, some of the above obviously depends on decisions the club makes.

I think McNamara, Amagat, Wallace, and Ofori should all be gone either way, so you leave them unprotected/release them.

I think Berget, Matarrita, and Hountondji (pending his injury status) are all back next year, but FC Cincy won't take a risk on any of them considering their salaries.

Awuah, Bedoya, and Caldwell are likely back next year, but not promising enough to be selected, so you leave them unprotected.

Stuver, no risk there. If he is gone, oh well.

The 9 I've bolded above are for sure protected.

This leaves me with three guys that could possibly be protected/unprotected, especially considering what the club does with Villa and Herrera

Castellanos I would protect. He's shown a lot of technical promise and ability and I would like him back next season. His salary is not that high, and I while I think he can be better, I think his main problem so far has been lack of chemistry with current players. Give him an offseason with the team and I think he will contribute a lot more next year.

Ben Sweat. It's pretty well documented that I'm not a huge fan of his, but he is valuable, especially as a cheap American and I don't think I would leave him unprotected. I'm not opposed to him being gone next year, but I think we could get some decent compensation for him via trade instead. I think if he is left unprotected, Cincy pulls the trigger on him and we ultimately receive no compensation back for him.

Saad Abdul-Salaam. I think he's another value pick and would be a good one for Cincy. The problem he has for us is being behind Tinny. I'd love to protect him, but at this point its a numbers game. If Villa and Herrera are gone, and the club decides not to bring back Castellanos, then I think you protect him.

Scrolling through our current roster and here are my initial knee-jerk thoughts:

Protect

1. David Villa (This is making a big assumption that he is back. I am doing this upfront so I can list a #12 below)

2. Yangel Herrera (Another big assumption that we obtain at least another year from him from CFG and for this, I've listed a #13 below)

3. Maxi Moralez

4. Alex Ring

5. Alexander Callens

6. Maxime Chanot

7. Sean Johnson

8. Sebastien Ibeagha

9. Ismael Tajouri-Shradi

10. Jesus Medina

11. Anton Tinnerholm

12. Valentin Castellanos

13. Ben Sweat

Unprotected

Saad Abdul-Salaam

Eloi Amagat

Kwame Awuah

Daniel Bedoya

Jo Inge Berget

Jeff Caldwell

Cedric Hountondji

Ronald Matarrita

Tommy McNamara

Ebenezer Ofori

Brad Stuver

Rodney Wallace

Exempt

Jonathan Lewis

James Sands

Joe Scally

Now, some of the above obviously depends on decisions the club makes.

I think McNamara, Amagat, Wallace, and Ofori should all be gone either way, so you leave them unprotected/release them.

I think Berget, Matarrita, and Hountondji (pending his injury status) are all back next year, but FC Cincy won't take a risk on any of them considering their salaries.

Awuah, Bedoya, and Caldwell are likely back next year, but not promising enough to be selected, so you leave them unprotected.

Stuver, no risk there. If he is gone, oh well.

The 9 I've bolded above are for sure protected.

This leaves me with three guys that could possibly be protected/unprotected, especially considering what the club does with Villa and Herrera

Castellanos I would protect. He's shown a lot of technical promise and ability and I would like him back next season. His salary is not that high, and I while I think he can be better, I think his main problem so far has been lack of chemistry with current players. Give him an offseason with the team and I think he will contribute a lot more next year.

Ben Sweat. It's pretty well documented that I'm not a huge fan of his, but he is valuable, especially as a cheap American and I don't think I would leave him unprotected. I'm not opposed to him being gone next year, but I think we could get some decent compensation for him via trade instead. I think if he is left unprotected, Cincy pulls the trigger on him and we ultimately receive no compensation back for him.

Saad Abdul-Salaam. I think he's another value pick and would be a good one for Cincy. The problem he has for us is being behind Tinny. I'd love to protect him, but at this point its a numbers game. If Villa and Herrera are gone, and the club decides not to bring back Castellanos, then I think you protect him.

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Can loans even be selected? Some of those guys have 1-yr loans and the others probably are here because the home club agreed to NYCFC and may not have any interest in working with FCC.

Scrolling through our current roster and here are my initial knee-jerk thoughts:

Protect

1. David Villa (This is making a big assumption that he is back. I am doing this upfront so I can list a #12 below)

2. Yangel Herrera (Another big assumption that we obtain at least another year from him from CFG and for this, I've listed a #13 below)

3. Maxi Moralez

4. Alex Ring

5. Alexander Callens

6. Maxime Chanot

7. Sean Johnson

8. Sebastien Ibeagha

9. Ismael Tajouri-Shradi

10. Jesus Medina

11. Anton Tinnerholm

12. Valentin Castellanos

13. Ben Sweat

Unprotected

Saad Abdul-Salaam

Eloi Amagat

Kwame Awuah

Daniel Bedoya

Jo Inge Berget

Jeff Caldwell

Cedric Hountondji

Ronald Matarrita

Tommy McNamara

Ebenezer Ofori

Brad Stuver

Rodney Wallace

Exempt

Jonathan Lewis

James Sands

Joe Scally

Now, some of the above obviously depends on decisions the club makes.

I think McNamara, Amagat, Wallace, and Ofori should all be gone either way, so you leave them unprotected/release them.

I think Berget, Matarrita, and Hountondji (pending his injury status) are all back next year, but FC Cincy won't take a risk on any of them considering their salaries.

Awuah, Bedoya, and Caldwell are likely back next year, but not promising enough to be selected, so you leave them unprotected.

Stuver, no risk there. If he is gone, oh well.

The 9 I've bolded above are for sure protected.

This leaves me with three guys that could possibly be protected/unprotected, especially considering what the club does with Villa and Herrera

Castellanos I would protect. He's shown a lot of technical promise and ability and I would like him back next season. His salary is not that high, and I while I think he can be better, I think his main problem so far has been lack of chemistry with current players. Give him an offseason with the team and I think he will contribute a lot more next year.

Ben Sweat. It's pretty well documented that I'm not a huge fan of his, but he is valuable, especially as a cheap American and I don't think I would leave him unprotected. I'm not opposed to him being gone next year, but I think we could get some decent compensation for him via trade instead. I think if he is left unprotected, Cincy pulls the trigger on him and we ultimately receive no compensation back for him.

Saad Abdul-Salaam. I think he's another value pick and would be a good one for Cincy. The problem he has for us is being behind Tinny. I'd love to protect him, but at this point its a numbers game. If Villa and Herrera are gone, and the club decides not to bring back Castellanos, then I think you protect him.

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Just a little quip. We would get $50k in GAM back if they selected Sweat. So it’s not nothing. But we’d probably get more on the open market.

On Tuesday, FC Cincinnati continued building their roster with an eye towards their inaugural season in 2019 as they selected five players in the 2018 MLS Expansion Draft. Find out more about the five players below.

1. Darren MattocksForward — Drafted from D.C. United

A pacey striker, Darren Mattocks posted a career-high 10 goals with D.C. United in 2018, though saw his minutes reduced when Wayne Rooney joined the club over the summer. Mattocks, 28, is a Jamaican international who previously played for the Portland Timbers and Whitecaps.

2. Kei KamaraForward — Drafted from Vancouver Whitecaps FC

TRADED TO COLORADO RAPIDS

A 34-year-old striker, Kei Kamara is a proven goalscorer in MLS throughout all stops during his career, most recently notching 14 goals for Vancouver Whitecaps FC in 2018. His 112 goals are the 6th most in league history.

Kamara will be traded to the Colorado Rapids for an international roster spot. The Rapids are signing him to a two-year contract.

3. Roland LamahMidfielder — Drafted from FC Dallas

Roland Lamah, 30, is a winger with pace and finishing ability who spent the last two seasons with FC Dallas after spending his career with Belgian side Anderlecht, Spanish club Osasuna, the Premier League's Swansea City and others. He scored 19 goals in 61 appearances for Dallas over the last two seasons. Lamah's option was declined following the 2018 season as FCC will acquire the rights to negotiate with him.

4. Eric AlexanderMidfielder — Drafted from Houston Dynamo

An experienced midfielder, Eric Alexander joined the Houston Dynamo in a trade from the Montreal Impact in 2016. Last season, the 30-year-old made 21 appearances for the Dynamo, contributing one goal and two assists. He was a crucial piece in the Dynamo's run to the 2017 Western Conference Championship. He has been capped twice for the US men's national team.

5. Hassan NdamDefender — Drafted from New York Red Bulls

Hassan Ndam, 20, is an imposing center back who was nominated for Young Player of the Year in USL for New York Red Bulls II and was 16th in USL’s 20 Under 20 list this year. At 6-foot-4, the Cameroonian youth international is a physical presence who started 29 matches for the Red Bulls' USL team in 2018 while on loan from the Red Bulls. He made his first team debut in 2017 and started his first match for the club in 2018.

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I agree with mattocks and lamah. Both can be really good. I guess kai works since they traded him and presumably are going to get someone "better" in that spot.

I don't know Alexander off hand, and i don't know the RB guy..... I definitely though someone from RB would be taken, but would have expected valot or even lade since he's super cheap. And I thought they would poach someones number 2 keeper, but I guess signing richey nixed that idea. I also don't know everyone's contracts off hand but I thought zahibo, herrarra, or medujanin would have been a nice mid choice for a team that wants to solidify their middle. Or even someone off the timbers/LAFC backlines. Not the greatest defensive groups but plenty of individual talents.

I'm struck that all Cincinnati got for him was 1 International slot. Last year those sold for $50k-$150 IIRC. In contrast, Cincy paid $750k plus an international slot for Watson. Kamara scored 14G and 6 asissts last year.

I'm struck that all Cincinnati got for him was 1 International slot. Last year those sold for $50k-$150 IIRC. In contrast, Cincy paid $750k plus an international slot for Watson. Kamara scored 14G and 6 asissts last year.

I think Cincy felt that Kei's cap hit wasn't a good fit for their roster construction but he was valuable as a trade piece. As mgarbowski points out, they screwed up.

In the words of Jeff Reuter, writing for The Athletic,

"Colorado traded an international spot to Minnesota last season for just $50,000 of General Allocation Money. Kamara was one of the most valuable assets available in the player pool, and Cincinnati should have gotten more for his rights."​

I agree that it seems like low compensation for Kamara. But, worth noting that Cincy should be able to unload that international spot for more than $50K of GAM.

Last year, international spots only traded for $50K in the mid-season transfer window, when teams were only buying half a year, and even then there were trades above that amount. Pre-season prices were $100K of GAM (with one slot going for $175K*).

I agree that it seems like low compensation for Kamara. But, worth noting that Cincy should be able to unload that international spot for more than $50K of GAM.

Last year, international spots only traded for $50K in the mid-season transfer window, when teams were only buying half a year, and even then there were trades above that amount. Pre-season prices were $100K of GAM (with one slot going for $175K*).

* - Best not to think too deeply about which team paid $175K.

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Kamara is also 34, getting up there, could just be diminishing returns due to age.